Railway track heater



Feb. 4, 1947.

W. H. GREENFIELD RAILWAY TRACK HEATER Filed May 30, 1944 IN ENTOR W 4 A TORNEY- Patented Feb. 4, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

2,415,131 I H RAILWAY TRACK HEATER Walter H. Greenfield, Philadelphia, Pa. Application May 30, 1944, Serial No. 538,105

' flame by closing the upper end of the spout.

A furtherobject of the invention is to devise a novel flame guard which has a double function. In one position it serves as a flame guard and in another position it serves as a flame extinguisher.

A further object of the invention is to mount the flame guard in a novel manner so that it is readily detachable from the fuel tank.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as will hereinafter clearly appeanmy invention comprehends a novel railway track heater hav- 5 Claims. (o1. s- 94 ing a novel construction and arrangement of invention is not limited to the exact arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a railway track heater, embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation showing the flame guard in its flame extinguishing position,

the section being taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of another embodiment of the invention, the guard being shown in section.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawing:

I designates a fuel tank or container which is preferably made of plates welded together at their juxtaposed edges. The tank I has a filling opening 2 for the fuel and the opening has a closure 3. 4 is a carrying handle welded to the top of the tank.

One end plate or wall is cut away at its lower portion as at 5 to receive a spout 6, which extends into the fuel in the tank and is Welded into fluid tight engagement with its end plate. The spout extends forwardly in an upward direction beyond the tank so that the flame is directed away from the tank and towards the rail to be heated. The spout has a conventional wick l which extends into the fuel in the tank.

A'flame guard 8 has a back plate 9 and forwardly diverging side plates it and II, and is mounted on the spout in a novel manner. A novel pivot member E2 in the form of a wire or rod is bent upon itself to form double end portions l3 to be received in selected apertures M in the side plates Ill and H. The free end portions of the member i 2 are bent outwardly and then inwardly towards each other to be received in pivot bearings l5 welded to opposite sides of the spout. I preferably'provide a number of holes or apertures M, one above the other, in the plates H! and l l, and a number of pivot bearings, one above the other, so that the position of the flame guard can be adjusted as may be desired.

The back wall of the flame guard rests on the spout when the flame guard is in its flame directing position.

In the embodiment seen in Figure 4, I have shown a different manner of mounting the flame extinguisher 8 on the spout. A pivot member 2! is Welded to the spout and its ends extend through slots 22 in the side plates, so that the Referring first to the embodiment seen in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, the flame guard in Figure 1 has its rear wall resting on the spout and is in its flame directing position. 7

If it is desired to extinguish the flame, the guard is moved on its pivots from the position seen in Figure l to that shown in. Figure 3 so that the flame is extinguished and the spout covered by the guard.

The operation of the embodiment seen in Figure 4 is similar to that already described in reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3. In one position the flame guard acts as a flame director. When swung over to cover the spout it acts as a flame extinguisher.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a, railway track heater, a fuel tank, a

spout opening into the tank near its bottom and extending upwardly away from and above the tank, a, wick in the spout, and a flame guard movably mounted on the spout in advance of the tank to act in one position as a flame guard and in another position to cover the upper end of the spout to act as a flame extinguisher.

2. In a railway track heater, a fuel tank, a spout opening into the tank near its bottom and having pivot bearings at opposite sides, a wick in the spout, a flame guard having a rear wall and forwardly projecting side walls, and a pivot member connected with said side walls and engaging said bearings, said flame guard in one position having its rear wall covering the spout and wick to extinguish the flame and when acting as a flame guard having the bottom of its rear wall resting on the spout.

3. The construction specified in claim 2 wherein a plurality of vertically spaced pivot bearings are provided, On opposite sides of the spout to selectively receive the pivot member. 4. The construction specified in claim 2 wherein the side walls of the flame guard have a plurality of vertically spaced openings to selectively receive the pivot member.

5. In a railway track heater, 2. fuel tank, a spout opening into the fuel tank and extending upwardly and forwardly, a wick in the spout, a flame guard having a rear wall and forwardly projecting side walls having a vertically extending slot in each side wall, and a pivot pin fixed to the spout and having its ends extending into said slot-s, said flame guard in its operating position as a flame guard having its bottom wall resting on said spout and when moved forwardly on it pivot pin covering the upper end of the spout to act as a flame extinguisher.

I WALTER H. GREENFIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The'following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 56,245 Merrill July 10, 1866 544,023 Bowman Aug. 6, 1895 1,068,533 Sallander July 29, 1913 65,448 Tansey June 4, 1867 86,767 Lowe Feb. 9, 1869 1,057,128 Dolley Mar. 25, 1913 2,297,059 Hegeman Sept. 20, 1942 364,055 Smith, et a1 May 31, 1887 380,176 Brewster 'Mar. 27, 1888 1,783,164 Miller Nov. 25, 1930 1,911,509 Hoffer May 30, 1933 2,055,839 Greenfield Sept. 29, 1936 71,515 Lowe Nov. 26, 1867 1,071,749 Jeavons Sept. 2, 1913 

